Plastic is creeping into our lives

Have you noticed how more and more plastic has crept into our lives? You can hardly buy anything that isn't packaged in plastic. Glass bottles and jars have been changed to plastic.

Yes, it's convenient, but it's polluting our earth and it never goes away. It goes to the landfill, but never decomposes. It's made of petroleum and it's full of chemicals.

Reducing your use of single use plastic bags is the easiest place to start lessening your plastic consumption. I just counted 17 "free" reusable bags in my car. I have chosen to refuse plastic bags because they are a waste of our resources and they are generally used once and thrown away.

The EPA statistics state that over 95 percent of all HDPE plastic bags end up in our landfills or the environment. Every ocean has a plastic gyre that is killing birds, fish, turtles and other sea creatures. Plastic bags float through the air and if they don't get caught in brush or trees, they end up in a waterway that leads to larger bodies of water, like the Gulf of Mexico.

Our Mother Earth is sick and we need to start mothering her. She has a temperature and needs our immediate attention. Let's do the right thing and start refusing plastic bags.

It's a matter of training yourself and forming a new habit. I'm proof that it can be done.

Even if you don't believe in global warming, I'm sure you don't want to pollute this beautiful place we call our home. It was good to hear the candidates for Iowa City Council agree that this is necessary.

Please join me and 100 Grannies For a Livable Future in this endeavor.

Becky Ross

Iowa City

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Plastic is creeping into our lives

Have you noticed how more and more plastic has crept into our lives? You can hardly buy anything that isn't packaged in plastic. Glass bottles and jars have been changed to plastic.